


Hypothermia

by ficsandcatsandficsandcats



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:35:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23960047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ficsandcatsandficsandcats/pseuds/ficsandcatsandficsandcats
Summary: Reader Request: Reader gets hypothermia and Jaskier has to warm her up with skin to skin contact. They have been dancing around each other before this point but this ends up bringing their mutual attraction into the open.
Relationships: Jaskier | Dandelion/Reader
Kudos: 20





	Hypothermia

“I will never forgive myself, Y/N, through the end of my days this will be my greatest shame!”

“It was an accident, Jaskier, it’s ok.”

“I will do any penance you deem just.”

“For f-fuck’s sake Jaskier.”

Your words devolved into chatters as you tried to keep a steady pace back to the campsite. You’d been practicing your swordfighting by the riverbank, Jaskier determined to improve his skills and you determined to watch Jaskier with a sword in his hand as often as possible. He’d improved a great deal and was exceedingly proud of his “battle scars” in the form of bruised knuckles and nicked fingers. While you were practicing today things got a little more heated and it had all happened so fast. He’d parried your thrust, your blades clashing and sliding down to the hilts, bringing you both in close. He gave a roguish wink, panting from the exertion of blocking your swings. You lost your footing and when Jaskier pushed off of you to fall back into fighting stance you fell back into the river.

You were soaking heat to foot and of course it was fast approaching night. You’d walked farther away from the camp than you’d realized and you tried hard to focus on breathing and walking but it was taking more and more effort.

“Y/N?”

You turned your head towards Jaskier but it felt so heavy and it was taking so long. He swam into view, his brow furrowed in concern.

“Y/N you’re shaking,” he said, holding you steady by the arms. You didn’t have the energy to shrug him away or insist you were fine. 

“S’fine M’fine,” you said, your tongue feeling heavy and thick in your mouth, your words slurring together. You heard a faint wheezing sound and realized it was your breath, coming out in shallow gasps. Jaskier took your wrist in his, his hand feeling painfully hot to the touch though you could see his breath in the air and you knew he must be cold.

“Your pulse is slow, far too slow,” he said. He looked back up at you and gave a decisive nod.

“Right, we have to get you out of these clothes,” he said. You felt your eyes widen in slow motion, the lids heavier than you’d ever felt them before.

“I think you have hypothermia,” he explained as he gently led you off of the path to a clearing. He seated you on a log and then just as gently began to untuck the undershirt you’d stolen from him some time ago. He’d put up a front of being offended that you stole his clothes but he loved the sight of you in them.

“Jaskshtopimfnn,” you murmured, and then you were being shaken awake, Jaskier’s hands holding you steady as he repeated your name, a slightly frantic edge to his tone.

“Wa-?”

“You have to stay awake, alright? Listen to my voice. Oh dear that won’t help, my voice is famously soothing. I’ll sing to you! My bawdiest, loudest songs,” and then he made true on his word, adding in little physical touches as he sang such as a little dancing shake at “Hunger” and “Horn.” He was trying to keep you calm and entertain you while also keeping you awake, staving off his panic as he worked to get you out of your clothes. He knew you were pretty far gone when you didn’t so much as try to bat at him as he carefully pulled off the soaking boots and then the trousers. He pulled his clothes off as well and laid them on the ground.

“Come along, that’s right, here we go,” he said in a sing-song voice as he gently lowered your naked body to his clothes. He wrapped one of your legs between his, his arms pulling you close as he rubbed warming circles around your back. He tried to cover every part of you that he could. He considered just laying on top of you but feared he’d squish you or it might make breathing even harder than it already was. He continued to sing, moving into a song about a particularly randy goatherd and a shepherdess. Then he talked to you. About childhood, about traveling, about dragons and treasure and anything else that came to mind. He asked you questions to gauge how you were doing, not trusting your slowly warming body alone. It was easy to tell when your pulse began to improve, your chests pressed up tight against each other as they were. Slowly you began to answer him a bit more coherently and your shivering slowed.

“And that is the fifth time I had my heart broken by a blacksmith. It is a cruel profession but the arms on those people,” Jaskier sighed. He felt you chuckle and looked back down at your face. He was relieved to see some color in your cheeks and instinctively kissed your forehead.

“I think, possibly, you saved my life,” you said, your jaws moving with ease again, “And you did it with nudity which is just so very on brand of you.”

“I’m not trying to take any liberties, Y/N,” he began but you looked up at him and he saw your eyes glinting with amusement.

“I know. But still, this isn’t how I imagined it,” the words fell out of your mouth before you realized what you’d said. Your brain was still catching up with the rest of you, apparently. Jaskier’s blue eyes lit up with interest.

“So you’ve imagined this,” he said, a wolfish smile coming over his face.

“I…. am sick. Nothing I say can be held against me,” you reply contritely.

“Speaking of being held against you,” Jaskier says, tightening his grip, “I suppose it’s only fair to confess that this is not quite the way I pictured this going either. I mean, I had very much hoped to have you naked under the stars one day but not under the threat of death. Talk about pressure for performance.”

You burrow your face into his chest, the soft hair cushioning your burning cheeks.

“Have I thoroughly mortified you?” he asks, cheeky but just a bit of genuine concern in his voice.

“No I do that well enough on my own,” you reply, your voice muffled by his chest. He laughs and gently pulls you back far enough to look you in the eyes.

“So,” he says.

“So,” you reply. Jaskier licks his lips and gazes at your face, blue eyes taking in the sight of you naked and close and – cold. Still very, very cold. Your shivering isn’t as violent as before but he knows it’s time.

“Come on, we’ve got to keep heading back to camp,” he says, pulling you both to your feet.

“But, um, my clothes are still wet,” you say, gesturing to the pile of half-frozen clothes.

“Right. Well, we’ll make it work,” Jaskier says insistently. You keep your eyes respectfully on your task though if the occasional accidental glimpse happens, neither of you were going to call the other out on it. You wear Jaskier’s undershirt with his doublet tied around your waist while he wears his trousers and boots. You insist you can walk but he insists firmer that you let him carry you, claiming it is better to prevent any further injuries, and you finally relent.

You continue talking as you walk though this time the conversation doesn’t have the tension of your impending death or the awkwardness of unspoken desire. You’d both worried that if you confessed your attraction things would change between you and not for the better. But he was still your Jaskier and you were still his Y/N, just with the potential for so much more in the future.

You reach the camp a couple of hours later and make a promise that the next time you are naked in each other’s arms you will both be in full health.


End file.
